SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE CORE

Univ Of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill NC

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The challenges posed by the HIV/AIDS epidemic are tackled most effectively by creatively integrating[unreadable] biomedical, social and behavioral approaches. Although dramatic advances have been made in our[unreadable] understanding of vaccine development'and the effective treatment of HIV, poor medication adherence,[unreadable] stigma associated with HIV, and disparities in health services delivery limit the impact of biomedical[unreadable] advances. Significant progress has also been made in understanding viral pathogenesis and transmission.[unreadable] Translating this progress into reduced incidence of HIV, however, requires knowledge of efficacious methods[unreadable] to change human behavior. Optimal strategies are needed to disseminate and integrate into routine care[unreadable] behavioral approaches that are found to be effective. Interventions that target multiple levels, biologic and[unreadable] behavioral, are most likely to be effective but require collaboration across disciplines. The overarching goal[unreadable] of the UNC CFAR's Social and Behavioral Core is to facilitate collaborative HIV/AIDS research efforts that[unreadable] integrate biomedical and social science approaches. In this renewal application, we focus on three specific[unreadable] aims: 1) to support ongoing HIV/AIDS social and behavioral research as well as social and behavioral[unreadable] components of ongoing HIV/AIDS biomedical research by providing technical assistance in a number of[unreadable] areas; 2) to support and enhance the communication and collaboration of existing HIV/AIDS Social and[unreadable] Behavioral researchers with each other and with biomedical researchers; and 3) to plan new research[unreadable] initiatives that address novel, high priority social and behavioral aspects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. We will[unreadable] achieve these goals by creating and maintaining an archive of evidence-based prevention interventions and[unreadable] measurement tools that assess psychosocial aspects of HIV/AIDS. We will also continue to help sponsor[unreadable] eekly CFAR seminars as well as develop and put on an annual Social and Behavioral HIV/AIDS Research[unreadable] symposium. These forums provide an opportunity to exchange ideas and develop novel collaborative[unreadable] endeavors. We will create an updated Social and Behavioral Researchers Resource Directory and, once[unreadable] updated, put it onlline to enhance its usability. We will work closely with other cores to enhance the use and[unreadable] dissemination of social and behavioral analyses of data in the UNC clinical database. Core G users[unreadable] represent a broad range of productive social and biomedical scholars from across several UNC Schools, FHI[unreadable] and RTI.